Bianca Bustamante gears up for return to racing in Barcelona

racerbia/Instagram

After a well-deserved break and attending a series of off-track events, Filipino American racer Bianca Bustamante is ready to hit the race track once again.

As the first Filipina driver for McLaren, Bustamante shared her excitement through a series of Instagram posts featuring videos and photos of her memorable moments with her “papaya fam.”

In one post, the Laguna native shared a heartfelt message: “Sometimes all I think about is you late nights in the middle of June.”

She followed this with an enthusiastic announcement. “But thankfully it’s Race Week again!!!! Time to create more good memories and show all the progress we’ve been working on! See y’all on track very soon Papaya fam.”

Additionally, Bustamante posted a group photo with the ART Grand Prix family in front of the iconic Sagrada Família in Barcelona. The caption read, “@artgp_official family photo here at Barcelona!!! First time racing together alongside @formula2 and @fiaf3! We get to be tourists for a day before we hit it on track.”

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A post shared by Bianca Bustamante 🏁 (@racerbia)

In the photo, she was accompanied by Bulgaria’s Nikola Tsolov, 2023 ARA Rally Champion Lia Block, Christian Mansell and Aurelia Nobles.

McLaren also highlighted Bustamante’s return by posting a photo of her, captioned, “Ready to get back racing, @RacerBia,” to which Bustamante eagerly responded, “hungry for more” with an orange heart.

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Fans are eagerly anticipating Bustamante’s return to the track, where she aims to build on her progress and create new memories with her racing family.

Before the Barcelona race, it was noteworthy that Bustamante secured a podium finish at the F1 Academy Miami round. This achievement has fueled her determination to perform even better in the upcoming races.

As a trailblazer in a predominantly male-dominated sport, Bustamante continues to inspire aspiring racers, particularly young women, proving that talent and hard work can break barriers and pave the way for future generations.

With her return to racing, Bustamante is set to bring her passion and competitive spirit back to the forefront. Her progress and performance in the upcoming races will be a testament to the hard work and preparation she has put in during her break, as she usually says, “never give up, never what?”